Le Tueur Triste
by withered-soup
Summary: Sasuke,a man granted eternal youth and beauty,goes into a search for the one who made him into a vampire for he believed he could be cured.And as he goes on with his search,he learns that blood,lust and romance could never be parted from his vampire lips.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Hello, guys. I welcome you all to my newest fan fiction, _Le Tueur Triste _(in English, _The Sad Killer_). This time, I tried using a flashback POV narration style because it's the best style that would capture the feelings of the main character (at least for me) who is, in this case, our beloved Sasuke.

Anyhow, I wish you guys love this one. :D

**LE TUEUR TRISTE**

By withered-soup

**Prologue**

It was one cloudy afternoon—an afternoon so magically the same with the countless cloudy afternoons he encountered in his life. A bit of the rare sun touched his white skin while the rest of the shadows of the clouds darkened his already black eyes. The wind played with his raven hair and slightly moved the collar of his trench coat. He was in black from head to toe except for his fine cotton turtle neck inner shirt.

He was a teen if judged by looks alone. His mind, however, was sharpened by the hundred years that passed him. Despite the fleeting years, he remained a patron of a particular park where he was that afternoon. He always sat on the same bench located under the same tree…alone during most of his years.

Sasuke was seated silently with one leg crossed over the other. He was watching two grandmothers chatting away at a far bench when a ball flew to his direction. Catching it with both hands, he maintained his poise as he leaned forward and watched a red haired boy approach.

"Yours, I presume?" Sasuke handed the smooth ball and then leaned back.

"I'm Gaara." The boy suddenly introduced himself though Sasuke smiled dismissively instead of replying.

"Do you want to play?"

"Go play with someone else." Sasuke said with a small smile.

Gaara was silent for a while, studying the man with round eyes. "But," Gaara climbed up the bench with some difficulty, "you seem lonely." He paused and looked into Sasuke's eyes. "_And you seem have a lot to tell._"

The way those words played in his ears and the way Gaara looked at him both had an eerie effect on Sasuke. The boy stirred something within him…something deeper than memories. He stirred Sasuke's volition to hide his damned soul under years and years of terrible abstinence.

Sasuke unconsciously drew back an inch or two away from the child who was dusting the ball with small white hands. He looked away to suppress the odd horror he sensed from the boy. He was calmed, however, by the wind of that afternoon and slowly, he regained his inner composure.

"…Any story may do, right?" Sasuke said more to himself than to the child. "…any story…" he repeated, clasping his chest.

It was as if a whirlwind of the past trapped Sasuke by his feet and gradually, he drowned back to one of the many scenes that were very much vivid in his mind.

"It all started that night of spring when I awoke hearing the shrill cries of children downstairs. I came to realize, seconds after my awakening, that the orphanage was burning and it was instinct that hauled me off the bed and into the nearest room across mine. I heard a boy cry '_aniki'_ over and over again from there. The poor boy was cowering near the bed, worse, immobilized by panic. I had to drag him away from his spot to wrap him with a wet blanket and to get him out of the room.

"The fire was already lapping at the ceiling when we ran through the corridor. I grabbed as many children as I could and guided them downstairs.

" 'Sasuke!' came a shout.

"I turned and saw Sister Anji was carrying a small child on her bony arms. 'Two boys and a baby are left at the last room!'

"As soon as I led the other children out of the house, I darted back into the flames and headed for the room at the end of the hall. I remember the heat and the glare of the flames as I held one boy with one hand while I carried a wailing baby with my other arm. I recall running to the doorway only to jump back when it collapsed, trapping us in that room that glowed with fire.

" '_Aniki!_' the boy cried and tugged helplessly on my shirt. The baby was even louder than the boy. Coughs, wails and noise of crashing wood piled up and stressed me as I stood there, eyeing the place for a possible path. And suddenly, I remembered that Sister Anji said there were two boys and a baby."

"You didn't find the boy?" Gaara asked.

"I think I saw him." Sasuke said after a long pause.

"That means you saved him!"

Sasuke sighed. "I…I didn't get to save even one of them." He passed two of his fingers across his left temple.

Gaara watched Sasuke's brows meet then relax as if trying to retrieve a vivid picture from the deepest recess of his brain.

"I knew I lost my faith in salvation from the flames and in finding the boy but the moment I turned around, I saw him. I don't remember his face for his back was turned to the flames. He was just standing there while the fire danced behind him as if it was under his control.

" 'Come!' I yelled but the boy stayed on the same spot. His expression was unreadable.

I repeated what I said just when another burning wood crashed to the floor. The moment I turned to see what happened, I felt something latch against my neck. I lost strength even before I could grab whatever it was off me and seconds after, I blacked out."

Sasuke stayed silent for a few seconds before shrugging and uncrossing his legs. The little sunlight lightened his young face as he sat there, contemplating about what happened. Gaara was quiet as well as he waited for the next words.

"I should have died." Sasuke smiled. "But…such a mystery it was because the morning after, I found myself sleeping against a tree meters away from the burnt orphanage. I was like a baby, curled against the protruding roots when a familiar touch woke me. It was Sister Anji embracing me like I was a child once more. She 

pressed her lips against my forehead and cheeks before asking if I was alright. I was in a daze so I only stared at her. I think I wanted to smile then but I was still in shock that I survived. And perhaps, there were contrary feelings that both wanted to be manifested on my face. Both happiness and pain was in me: The joy survival and the guilt of not being able to save the children.

"It was no sooner that some authorities came, holding a man whose face could only be painted with loathe.

" 'Do you know this man?' One of the apprehenders asked Sister Anji who immediately clasped both her hands.

" 'My God,' she whispered, 'he is—'

" 'All of you are damned!' he spat, particularly to our nun. 'You killed my wife!' The man had to be held back before the authorities could explain that they caught him near the orphanage and that he was holding a torch and containers of oil. Moreover, the man admitted proudly that he burned the structure.

" 'Yes!' He spoke again with a smile belonging to a maniac. 'I burned the demon's lair!' His eyes turned to everyone. 'You are all demons!'

"I couldn't handle any of what he said and I found myself yelling, 'you murderer!' before running to him with both hands outstretched. I grabbed him by the collar and I managed to punch him hard on his face before the others were able to restrain me. I continued shouting, cussing and reaching out for the shocked man with another punch—which I successfully did once more—before Sister Anji cried for me to stop.

"I felt like I was a madman myself. I slowly lowered my arms and as I turned, I was surprised to see seven men panting behind me. They appeared to be the ones who held me back."

Gaara stopped rubbing his ball. "Seven men?"

"I was actually surprised myself." Sasuke said with a glance at his open palm. "That was when I started thinking of myself differently." He crossed his legs again. "It was a different strength—unearthly, actually. I even thought I was capable of killing then. I was became afraid of myself.

"The children who watched me walk away…I could feel their fear. They had never seen me like that before. When I looked up at Sister Anji, I saw pity and the desire to help me. When I looked at the man, I saw pure shock."

"It was then I said to myself, I'll take a walk.

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, slightly disturbing Gaara because of the abrupt stop in the story.

"Walk?" Gaara murmured.

Sasuke laughed to himself and the gloom of his face gave way for the young face to shine. One could never deny the beauty he possessed that moment. It was as if his skin reflected the radiance of the sun.

"A walk…that kept me from returning home—them, for I never saw them again." He smiled a fanciful smile before continuing. "And it was the same walk that led my life…of being a vampire."

**A/E/N:**

Please give me comments or critiques. I know the prologue didn't work that well. Anyway… Haha. Thanks for viewing this fic. :D


	2. One: A Walk

**LE TUEUR TRISTE**

By withered-soup

**One: A Walk**

"It was a fine day and it was the best time to calm my nerves, I said to myself as I walked along the dusty road leading to the town of Konoha. I was already seventeen then but I haven't been around Konoha that much. I lived my life at the outskirts of the urban area and I wasn't much into the luxuries of life. Actually, all I ever wore then were a long sleeved shirt and a pair of faded pants." Sasuke was in a lighter mood now. "But the only important thing I possessed was a silver locket that I had when I was brought to the orphanage." His eyes were looking beyond the farthest benches of the park. "As I walked silently, I thought of what happened the night before and I tried to recall anything particular that happened to me. I could remember nothing peculiar.

"Also, the man who burned the orphanage passed my mind. I couldn't understand why and how he could do such a thing!" He paused. "God, I could still feel the lingering hatred for him until now—though I do understand him now, however irrational his action was."

Sasuke raised his brows for a second before sighing. "Anyway, as I was saying, I was walking rather unaware of the distance I had covered when I heard a coach move along the same road. I stopped at my tracks and observed the black coach shine under the sun. The door handles shimmered with gold while the black stallions showed grace as they galloped. But the greater surprise was when the coach slowed down and stopped before me.

"The door opened and a man of long brownish black hair looked intently at me with cream eyes. A small smile graced his lips before asking my name.

" '…Sasuke.' I slightly bowed, not being used to meeting rich people or nobles.

" 'Hyuuga Neji.' The nobleman smiled. 'Would you honor me by accompanying me along the way?'

" 'Hyuuga-san—' I protested but he only looked at me with those cool eyes and repeated his statement.

Sasuke laughed before saying, "what encounter!"

Gaara's round eyes watched how Sasuke shook his head as if it was one good joke.

"Imagine my innocent shame when I climbed up the coach, wondering why the nobleman suddenly asked for my company. I had forgotten everything that very moment I sat and soiled his velvet seat. I could still remember the ludicrous uneasiness I felt when his coachman closed the door and then the coach rolled off once more." Sasuke added, "It was even such an idiotic decision to ride with a complete stranger!"

"Was it frightening?" Gaara asked, like a child would.

"It was, yes. I had never been with a noble before, especially in their magnificent coaches. But his eyes were enticing and so was his calm voice that soothed the very core of my soul." Sasuke mused with a mirthful smile.

"So…why did he want you then?"

"We'll get to that. When he sensed my obvious anxiety, he pulled out a wine bottle and a glass. I watched him, mesmerized by the way the crimson liquid touched the inside of the wine glass. Though, it was no sooner when I ignored Neji and the way he poured drinks. A sweet scent filled the air, capturing me by surprise. It was the sweetest scent and I felt the oddest feeling of hunger and thirst combined into one desire.

"Neji seemed to have noticed the fact that I was already hypnotized by the aroma for he stopped pouring the liquid and outstretched his arm to hand me the wine glass. 'Yours, my friend.' He said meekly as if speaking to a child.

"I took the glass with both hands, savoring the intense smell of the drink. I gave Neji a glance, assuring myself that he approved of me drinking from his cup, and when I saw him nod, I tilted the glass against my lips."

"What did it taste like?" Gaara drew closer to Sasuke when he saw the beautiful expression that formed on his face. Sasuke's eyes were closed and his lips were in a gentle smile. "What did it taste like?" the listener repeated impatiently.

"Heaven, of course." Sasuke finally replied as he looked at the child beside him. "Pure heaven."

"Describe heaven."

"Let me see…" Sasuke mumbled. "It's hard to explain but one thing about tasting heaven is that the taste gives such intense joy and peace to the taster."

"…" Gaara drew back, still confused.

Sasuke sat silently, trying to perfectly recall the taste of the drink. "It warmed me inside and if I were not modest, I would have asked for another drink—no—the entire bottle! It was my curiosity that pushed me to ask Neji what it was and it was also that curiosity that shattered me.

" 'Blood.' He plainly replied with his chin supported by the back of his hand.

"I didn't know what to do or what to think of at that moment. I didn't even realize that I had dropped the glass to the floor of the coach. I looked fixatedly at Neji's expression but his collected atmosphere didn't change. He just sat there looking at me with unreadable eyes.

"I yelled that he was mad and that the drink couldn't be blood. I laughed weakly and asked him to stop kidding around a poor orphan like me and then silenced up when he didn't speak nor change his expression. I implored him to stop the coach but he remained unmoved. It was just when I grabbed the door handle when his hand suddenly gripped my wrist and with marvelous power, he pulled me back to my seat. There, I was paralyzed with fear.

" 'Don't tell me that I even have to say it aloud.' Neji spoke with little sarcasm, though, it calmed me a bit. 'I think you already know who you are.'

" 'What has your drink turned me into?!' I demanded with a shout.

" 'My drink didn't turn you into anything.'

" 'What do you want from me?!'

" 'I captured your scent from afar and I saw you walking there so I simply took you in.' Neji spoke as if unaffected by my panic. 'It's actually quite rare to find someone like us in Konoha.'

" 'Us?!'

" 'Sasuke, Sasuke,' he shook his head.

" 'A vampire?'

"I stared at Neji for a long time—a really, really long time. I was perfectly convinced that he was mad and that I was in grave danger if I didn't jump off the coach. But of course I couldn't. Or maybe I could but I was just afraid to try to escape again.

"It was, indeed, fear that kept me seated there across the cool vampire who just observed me with clever eyes. I just stared at him and if not at him, at the bottle of what he said was blood lying beside him. When he caught me eyeing the bottle, he took it in his hands and tortured me with the scent by opening the bottle. Something within me churned painfully and I had to embrace myself to keep my body from lunging forward to get another drink of the crimson fluid.

" 'Denial is the greatest pain, Sasuke.' Neji replaced the cork before speaking. 'Let me help you face it.' His words were in time with the moment the coach was covered by the shadow of the great doorway of Konoha. Neji's face was grim in that short-timed darkness. It also emphasized two prominent fangs that I never noticed before when he spoke. I knew then, he was telling me the truth of vampires' existence."

Sasuke's eyes appeared glassy and icy that time when he looked at Gaara. The boy seemed to have noticed just now how different Sasuke's features were actually. His skin wasn't simply white but smooth and utterly flawless. He had a certain shine that covered his hair and it made his strands flow like silk under the sun. His eyes were ever coal black but they had a knowing stare and he could sense a calm, cool and collected countenance.

"We reached Neji's mansion which was located near the end of the small town. The mansion was surrounded by sculptures of angels in different positions. One was fighting the devil, another was weeping on a stone while another was just standing, glorifying heaven. There were a lot more angels there but I had no chance to see them when the coach turned for the entrance doors.

"I actually planned to run the moment the coachman opened the door but the Hyuuga eyes that commanded me to go down peacefully controlled me. I came down the steps of the coach, my eyes wild with confusion, and then I was led inside the mansion by a firm, cold hand.

" 'Prepare the drink.' Neji told a young female servant when we passed her on our way to the parlor. She bowed and looked at me with eyes that bore a masked distaste before hurrying to another room where I unmistakably heard a voice of a woman pleading not to be taken to something or somewhere.

"Anyway, I was taken to the parlor and was asked—commanded subtly, rather—to sit while Neji sat once more across me. We sat there for a few tacit minutes and the silence calmed me well. I observed the quaint appearance of the room with its large paintings and wallpapered sides. The white sofa seats were matched with pillows with embroidered designs. The antique coffee table, surrounded by the sofa seats, was supported not by legs but a woman that was carved from dark wood. Expensive china could be seen displayed in shelves and on round side tables.

"Neji crossed his legs and his movement caught my wandering attention. 'I suppose you were not aware of being bitten.' He said. 'Am I right?'

"I said that I was not a vampire though it sounded rather hesitant and irritating rather than convincing. He only smiled and stood up. The thought of being hurt by Hyuuga and yet the thought of knowing what was behind his sudden movement made me inch back against the soft seat. He stopped, standing before me, and then slowly he lowered himself and raised my wrist. I watched in a fanciful terror as he folded the cuff of the sleeve back and looked for something I didn't know what.

"After not finding whatever it was, he moved to collar and tugged it wider to get a glimpse of my neck. The tips of his fingers played softly on my delicate skin, arousing nerve endings that sent shocks throughout my body. I 

felt hot and embarrassed and altogether oddly attracted to the touches and even the strands of his hair that was left untied and were flowing against his shoulders.

" 'Here,' he almost whispered as he drew back and pulled me up. He guided me to a mirror and turned me to my side. He pointed at my neck and told me to look closely. I did and I found two small, pinkish punctures.

" 'You were bitten, perhaps by a child.' He said as he left me gaping at the mirror, touching and pressing on the punctures. 'Young ones are known for the little pain of their bites.' He continued walking towards the coffee table where there were two glasses of wine. 'Do you remember any instance?' He paused. 'Do you remember a particular child?'

"What he said opened my memories back to the burning orphanage when I was standing with a boy and a baby. I suddenly remembered the image of the child whose face was shadowed by the blazing flames behind him. I recalled the feeling I had when I saw him…"

Gaara opened his mouth to ask something but Sasuke spoke once more.

"I already believed in Neji despite myself." He smiled. "I actually believed something was different in me when I took that walk. He was right, it was just denial." Sasuke raised his face to the clouds. "Neji also knew that I have already believed him because he had kept his silence the moment he saw me draw back from the mirror and fall back to a seat.

" 'Desire for blood is not yet prominent in your system for you have just been changed.' Hyuuga explained while pacing the room. 'But it will grow stronger and soon you will have to hunt for yourself.' Neji stopped when he heard a knock on the door. I looked up from my sullen state and saw the same female servant and now, with her, was a woman who was in definite fear. That woman looked pleadingly at me with lovely green eyes but of course, I couldn't help her.

" 'Excuse us.' He told me. 'Tenten,' he motioned the female servant with his eyes, 'lead our visitor to his room.'

" 'Yes, sir.' Tenten bowed and guided me out of the parlor."

"I looked back for the last time to take a glimpse of the nobleman. I saw him approach the shivering woman just when the door closed behind me."

"He bit her, then." Gaara suggested.

"That was also my closest guess." Sasuke said with a knowing air.

"So what really happened?" the child asked impatiently.

"I wouldn't know until after many years." Sasuke smiled and sighed to himself.

The listener showed childish disappointment before asking the vampire what happened next.

"I stayed there until night but during the whole day, I didn't see Neji other than the time he last spoke to me in the parlor. I stayed pacing in the room, praying and asking what I have done to cause myself such suffering. Two wine bottles filled with blood together with a wine glass were delivered to my room, however, I tried hard not to smell nor look at the sinful drink.

"I wanted to go home." Sasuke said with a little air of nostalgia. "I was young and ignorant even though I was already seventeen. I needed support from Sister Anji and perhaps, bid them a proper good bye. I decided then, that night, to leave Neji temporarily and go back to the people I left wondering where I went.

"Upon exiting my room, I spotted the familiar servant named Tenten. She appeared to be busy stuffing clothes into a large bag. She was at a dark corner of the corridor, eyeing the surroundings warily as she continued her work.

"Excuse me, I said and it was a surprise when she drew back in fear when she saw me before her. She didn't even notice me come. It took seconds for her to recover her composure and ask me what I wanted.

" 'Is Hyuuga-san around? I would like to—'

" 'Hush!' She glared at me and then looked at the doors around us.

" 'I'm—'

" 'Ask another servant about the demon.' Tenten slung the bag over her shoulder. 'I need to go somewhere.' She walked briskly and cautiously past me. I knew, from the look of her eyes, that she was escaping from the mansion—from Neji, I supposed. But the dominant thought in me was maybe I could just leave with her and return soon after. I wasn't familiar with the roads of the town because it was only once in a blue moon that I visit Konoha. I wasn't much into exploration then and I didn't give much notice to the world.

"I followed Tenten out of the mansion and tried to keep up with her pace. I asked her where she was to go."

" 'To my hometown at Otto.' Tenten explained hastily. 'And stop following me!' she hissed and walked farther.

"I caught up with her and asked if she knew the way out of the main streets of Konoha but Tenten appeared to have not heard me. So what I did was…" Sasuke laughed to himself and then shook his head. "I just followed her."

"Well," Gaara interlaced his small, cute fingers. "You didn't know anyone else right?"

"You think it was the right decision?" Sasuke lifted his brow. "I couldn't actually judge my action. But whatever it was, I am thankful now that I just tagged along." He paused and then looked at his pocket. He thought of smoking but in the presence of the child, he changed his mind.

"As I walked behind her, I found myself nearing a train station that was cramped up with a lot of people I could guess were immigrants from different countries. I failed to ask her where she was going when I was mesmerized by the large train moving slowly, picking up speed on the tracks. There were hundreds waving at the people at the platform before their very image was gone with the black smoke of the train. I also saw the division in there. The lower class people were crowded in seemingly old and dirty trains while the elites rode in convenient and comfortable new trains.

"Tenten seemed to have forgotten me when she squeezed herself through the gaps in the crowd to give the porter of the lower class train her ticket. I knew that I couldn't follow her any longer so I turned around and decided to find my way back. Unfortunately, something happened." Sasuke touched his chest and continued. "Since all of the people crowding at that part of the station were poor, someone took an interest in my locket."

"Stolen?" Gaara mused.

"Yes, by a boy of about twelve." The vampire shrugged. "The locket was the only remembrance of my origin so I was desperate to get it back. It was in time with the whistle of the porter when the people started rushing into the doorway. The boy ran inside, with me in pursuit of course, and I wrestled with him inside. I didn't mean it but when I pulled the locket, I pushed him away, unintentionally, out the train. And before I could do another thing, the door closed before me.

"I yelled for the door to open, irritating the people who were pushing their way through the train corridor. Someone even cussed and shouted at me. Many complained and told me to silence up and leave them in peace. I was in terrible panic that I began crying with the locket against my forehead. I sunk against the door and wept as the train picked up its pace towards I didn't know where.

"I thought of Sister Anji and the children I left behind. I thought of Neji and the way he eased me. I thought of the locket and I begun asking if my being lost was worth the retrieval of the locket. I felt like dying." Sasuke smiled weakly. "But my depression was soon lessened when a familiar voice coerced me to look up.

" 'You rascal!' It was Tenten with one hand akimbo and the other holding her bag. 'How did you get in here? Why are you here?' I pleaded for her to help me go back to Konoha but she shook her head, called me a _silly child_ and said that the train wouldn't stop until its destination at Otto.

" 'Then take me with you!' I cried and pulled on her blouse. She looked at me with sorry brown eyes before pulling me by the arm to stand up and follow her.

"Nothing much happened. I just kept my silence amidst strangers. I was still a child at everything. Tenten was the only one who took some minutes every now and then to talk to me about home and Otto. She said she had been away from home for ten years. She hoped to escape the vampire Neji sooner but the money she needed kept her from doing so.

"I was secretly happy that she never asked if I was a vampire or checked if I was different. And because of that, everything went fine, until the monster in me woke up the next night." Sasuke said gravely. "We were seated at the farthest end of the train, at the darkest corner." He uncrossed his legs and looked away. "I killed her."

Gaara asked Sasuke to repeat was he said for he was looking at another person at that moment but the vampire told him other words instead.

"I felt a strange desire in me—hunger and thirst it was—and I couldn't sleep because of that. I recalled what Neji said about the desire for blood growing as time passes by and I was afraid that it was happening to me. I wanted to ask Tenten about it but she was speaking to herself about her hatred about vampires and the number of women Neji had killed for their luscious blood. I presumed those were the reasons she left the Hyuuga nobleman's mansion.

"I observed her with weakening eyes and it surprised me to find that she was beautiful when stared at. Her lips often curved to a smile whenever she looked away at the small window—remembering perhaps the joys of her homeland. I gazed at her flesh, which was dampened by the heat of the train interior. And I understood then, that my desire for her blood grew because of her beauty.

"It might have been my animal instinct to wait for her to grow drowsy before I attempted to approach her. I crawled towards her, ensured by the darkness that no one else would see me. I wanted to control myself but I couldn't. I was a vampire." Sasuke smiled. "I am a vampire.

"I touched her shoulder and it slightly awoke her. She asked me rather snobbishly what I wanted but I only touched her lips with my finger. She stayed quiet and watched me touch her abdomen. It was such a lust I never felt 

before and while I touched her I spoke to her gently of staying silent and comfortable. I was surprised she didn't move much. She only stared with dreary eyes. I didn't know what made her like that…" He paused. "…well, I didn't know _then._

"She said something inaudible before I grasped her breast with my hand. I kissed her ear softly and tainted her neck with my sinful tongue. I fondled with her as my face drew near her neck. I could hear her pant when I released her breast and then held her by both shoulders. It was pure instinct that told me inwardly to bite her flesh…and I did."

Sasuke stood up, silently wondering why he told the child the explicit part of the story. He had utterly forgotten that he was speaking to a child of about five. He finally took out his cigarette and puffed smoke. Behind him, Gaara just gazed at the tall vampire with wonder.

"The taste was…I could never really explain. It satisfied me, my soul, my being." Sasuke continued with smoke coming out his lips. "It was warm and very tantalizing. It encouraged obsession that I gripped harder on her shoulders, my body pressed against her chest. I didn't know if she was pained for her mouth just stayed agape with no sound coming out. And after I had satisfied myself and regained my sanity as human, I drew back and found her dead.

"It is a sad reality. To stay human, I knew, that moment, that I had to drink blood. Another's life was equal to my sanity." Sasuke had his back turned to Gaara when he said that heavy line. "It was also that moment, as she hung lightly against my arm, that I was propelled to a greater desire to change the demon that I was."

"You're in a train, wouldn't anyone find out soon enough?" Gaara thought aloud.

"Yes, it was morning when they saw Tenten's cold body at the same corner. I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep so when I awoke, they were already in panic. The conductor then decided to stop at the nearest station to get the body investigated and off the train." Sasuke puffed another lungful of smoke. "As I watched the body being checked the moment we arrived at the station, I recalled the way Tenten smiled whenever she seemed to remember the joys of going back home." He massaged his temple with his free hand. "She never did get home, though." He smiled sadly and turned away from the listener once more. "They took Tenten's body off the train and I don't remember now why I snuck off the train as well. Maybe I didn't want to go to Otto because of the shame of having killed someone belonging there. Anyway, I stayed at the station and watched the train roll off to Otto before asking anyone there at the platform where I was.

" 'Suna,' a man in a dusty robe told me, 'this is what people call the Sand Village.' I asked next when the next train to Konoha would be departing and he said with a little grin that it was scheduled to run after two days. 'You might as well enjoy this town first, kid.' He added with a wink.

"I had no choice, I was stuck at Suna. But I told myself, I just needed to wait and sneak into the train again. So I turned around and walked into the sandy town with no friend but the constant wind that blew from the south." Sasuke finished his cigarette by stepping on it.

**A/E/N:**

Hmmm…my fiction is still bland but I swore to myself not to focus much on romance. I want to graduate from just writing lovey-dovey fiction so I am now writing something serious and a bit more mature. Hmmm… oh well. :3


	3. Two: Wind that Blew from the South

**LE TUEUR TRISTE**

By withered-soup

**Two: Wind that Blew from the South**

"What was Suna like?" Gaara cocked his head to the right. "All I know is that it is sandy."

Sasuke was fixing the cuffs of his sleeves when he looked up at Gaara and thought of Suna. "It was indeed sandy." He smiled. "It was warm in the morning, cool in the evening. But it was always windy. I always got sand in my eyes." He stopped and buttoned his cuffs.

"So what did you do there?" the child asked once more.

"At first, I didn't know where to go or what to do. I roamed aimlessly under the sun for hours. I also tried experimenting." Sasuke shook his head as if remembering something ludicrous. "I was very much against killing humans. I was eaten alive by the guilt about Tenten. Instead of moping around, I sneaked behind houses and jumped after birds that pecked grains on the sand. Now that I do think about it," he paused and lifted his face to the sky, "I looked pretty pathetic.

"This attempt to feed on animals lasted until afternoon. It was the time I caught a small fowl with its leg stuck between two bars of wood. I could have cried because of joy before I sunk my teeth through the bird's feathery flesh. Something backfired in my plans, though."

Gaara inched closer to the speaker.

"I lost hold of the body of the bird and crashed against the wall nearest me. I supported myself with my arms against the concrete and began vomiting blood. With the amount of blood that escaped my lips, I knew I vomited more than the bird's blood volume. It was then I created this theory that I could only drink my kind's blood."

"No animals?"

"No animals." Sasuke replied. "It is unfortunate. I was overwhelmed with disappointment but I tried my experiment for the second time with the rat I caught minutes before sunset. Like before, I vomited more than what I took from the animal. I gave up and stayed behind that house for a few more hours."

"What happened next?"

"Something tragic." Sasuke muttered seriously. "About three hours past sunset, I heard doors and windows close one after the other. Everyone I saw on the streets hurried into their houses and locked themselves in like everyone else. I was so curious that I left my place and walked along the empty streets.

"I wandered on the streets, hoping to find some place to stay as well when a load shriek came from somewhere behind me.

" 'A VAMPIRE!'

"The loud shriek came from a woman who was draped with old tattered clothes meters from me. Her neck was wrapped with a large chain held by a man in a uniform. She continued shouting, 'a vampire! A vampire!' before being pulled breathless by the man who ran towards me. I felt the rush of blood within me as I made the run for it. The panic in me rose every time I hear the loud shouts of the woman and the footsteps of the running man who held the chain.

"Once I turned into a corner, I found myself hitting a door and pounding on the wood. 'LET ME IN!' I cried as I banged on the door that didn't open. I had to run further and knock on other doors—in vain.

" 'VAMPIRE!' I could hear the woman's continuous shrieks after I turned to a dark alley where I saw one huge wall that blocked my way. I knew that I was trapped—a dead end."

"Did they…?"

"The woman caught up with me and lunged herself against me. We wrestled on the ground and there I saw her prominent fangs as she snapped at me with crazy pleasure.

" 'Let me go!' I yelled and pushed against her but her arms smacked me like steel and I hit the wall effortlessly.

" 'Enough!' I faintly heard a man yell before he grabbed the end of the chain that served as the woman's collar. She purred like a pet and let the man move before her to take a better look at me.

"I struggled to stand but it was in no time when three vampires held me and pulled me back. I shouted and tried to get away but they were strong, stronger than I was. It was a futile fight, as one might say, for I was easily dragged back while yelling for my life.

" 'You thought you could escape, huh?' Another man holding another chain appeared. 'Take him to the pound!' He commanded his other companions before turning his back on me. I remember being laughed at by the chained people—I guessed they were also vampires—who looked pitiful themselves. I asked myself if I were going to be like them, forever chained like a dog to a cruel master.

"After I was bound by ropes, I was thrown into a steel cage supported by wheels. Inside, there were three more vampires whose hands and feet were bound tightly by ropes. They were all looking at me with such hopeless faces before they were startled by the loud closing of the cage door. I hit a corner of that tiny, reeking cage the moment the coach pulling it rode off. With all my strength, I pushed myself up against the rails. I gritted my teeth to keep myself from shouting in anger and confusion.

"I felt utterly damned. I just wanted a normal life. I _had_ a normal life. And then this conversion into what I was and still am now changed about everything. I suffered greatly and hated greatly." Sasuke glanced at his pocket watch.

"It's late. Aren't you going home?"

"I'm an orphan just like you and I don't feel like the orphanage is my home." Gaara muttered more to himself than to Sasuke. "And besides, I want to know what happened next!"

Sasuke smiled to himself. "Okay, I'll just walk you home later." And then he continued. "It was nearly midnight when we reached a building in the middle of Suna. The vampires with me were reacting violently against the rails as the gates opened. Inside the gates, I saw other coaches and cages parked. There were other vampires, both young and old brought into the front doors. Many had to be dragged. A woman was even pulled by her hair. A boy about a year or two younger than me was tame and was only pushed roughly into the building. Others had varied reactions.

"When our cage was opened, the three vampires reeled back and moaned and cried to be saved while I was dragged out by my arm. I didn't see how the others were got out for I was hastily pushed into the building. What I found there was worse. The vampires caught that night were gathered in a large room where countless men with revolvers stood against the walls. Another set of men came into the room and turned on the lights.

"A man in white stepped in front of the group of men and surveyed us before saying, 'strip them'. He left the group just when the men began picking vampires and pulling their clothes off. I heard a man crying, 'you are the demons!' wildly before he was hit by one of the guards. Almost everyone was crying while some continued to fight off. About four were shot consecutively when they tried to overpower one of the men.

" 'We know how to kill you!' One of the guards pressed his revolver against an old man's left chest. 'So shut up!'

"I stared at the old man who was smiling oddly at me. He closed his eyes and calmly said to the guard before him, 'you men torture the same humans you try to protect. Maybe you are far worse murderers than we are—' a bang, and he was dead.

"It was no sooner when I was grabbed by my hair and was pulled towards two men. They pulled on my clothes and hit me whenever they felt like it. I yelled and tried to fight back by latching my teeth on one of them but I was just hit more until I was paralyzed on the ground. Kicks followed next. My head was turning and my eyes were falling fast. I could hear women screaming for their virginity while men shouted for freedom from torture. I heard another gunshot before an instant silence came and after that, I blacked out." Sasuke took out another stick of cigarette and lit it.

"It was morning when I awoke. I heard people conversing loudly. When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the cold cement, once again, inside a filthy cage. The only difference was, all of us who survived the stripping were crammed there and all of us, male and female, were naked.

" 'Chief, here is the catch for last night.' A man with round shades reported to the same man in white. 'Six out of twenty were shot dead because of fighting back.' He added after the chief approached the cage. The chief surveyed us and then pointed at a sleeping lady at the back part of the cage.

" 'Yes, sir.' The man with shades nodded and noted something on a piece of paper.

" 'Did Orochimaru ask for _supplies_?' The chief asked while still observing us.

" 'Yes, chief, but he only asked for two.'

" 'And Kabuto?'

" 'He asks for at least five.'

" 'Are there any orders from the other clients?'

" 'One client wants a young girl for his collection.'

" 'Alright,' the chief turned to the speaker, 'I'll leave it to you then, Aburame-san.' After that, the chief left.

"I watched how Aburame gestured the guards to unlock the door and carry the lady the chief pointed at. She was moaning but she couldn't fight back because of I didn't know what. After she was gone, Aburame wrote something before pointing at the five men who were easily taken away from the cage. He pointed at the youngest female vampire there but the girl tried to fight the guard who was pulling her.

" 'Go with him, young girl or you will get hurt.' Aburame warned while he approached a switch.

" 'Mama!' She cried as she kicked on the guards. 'Mama!' Apparently, her mother wasn't there.

"No one was moving to protect the girl either but the child was still moving away with all her might.

" 'I warned you.' Aburame pressed the switch and the ceiling above the cage opened from the middle. It exposed us to the warm sunlight.

" 'AAAAH!' Everyone started screaming and pushing themselves against the wall to avoid the light but to no avail. I was left in the middle of the cage, wondering in horror about what was happening to the other vampires there. They were pulling and pushing on each other. They were embracing themselves in order to save their abused flesh. I had nowhere to go so I stayed in the middle of the cage, half-lying with my elbow against the ground for support. The vampires were crying for Aburame to stop as they bled from cuts that developed on their skin.

" 'STOP! PLEASE!' The child cried and finally, Aburame closed the ceiling for everyone's sake. It was then I realized that all the guards outside the cage were staring at me in confusion. Soft murmurs followed before Aburame raised his open palm to hush the guards.

" 'You…didn't burn.' Aburame said to me.

"I looked at the vampires around me. All of them had blood on their nude bodies. All of them were crying because of the pain.

" 'You weren't affected by the light.' He added with a little hint of amazement.

" 'Is he really a vampire?' A guard asked Aburame before inching back as if I were a worse beast. '_What is he?_'

"I didn't know what to do or what to say. I stared at them—all of them. I was also searching for answers myself. It wasn't long before Aburame raised his hands to calm everyone and ordered for my isolation. The guards looked at each other, asking who among them would dare approach me. One stepped forward and then moved back when eyes moved towards him.

" 'Hmp.' Aburame, slightly irritated by the guards' fear, stepped into the cage, pulled me by my arm and dragged me out."

"Where did they take you?" Gaara sounds confused. "There are so many places to remember in your story."

Sasuke laughed. "You don't have to remember all of them. Moreover, they are all sad places." He sighed. "I was taken to a room cemented close from floor to ceiling. A little square window blocked by layers of rails covered it though little sunlight could seep through.

"I was thrown there and before I could charge for the opening of the door, it was shut against my face. I dropped to the cold ground. 'Sister Anji,' I whispered to myself as I scraped on the wall with my fingernails, 'I can't take this anymore.' I felt like I was dying. 'Sister, please take me away from here.' I pitied myself terribly. 'Please take me away from here…'

"I repeatedly thought of those words." Sasuke said softly. "Take me out of here." He repeated silently to himself before continuing.

"I had been there for hours, shuddering at the corner of the room, when the steel door opened and Aburame appeared at the doorway with an unreadable look on his face. A man followed him in my view and the first impression I had of him were his gold snake eyes.

'There he is.' Aburame said to the man.

'What's your name?' The man asked.

"I kept my silence and inched further against the farthest corner.

"The man studied me for a few seconds before telling Aburame that he'd be taking me. 'Replace one man in my list with this young one.' He smiled and licked his lips. 'Interesting…'

" 'I'm not coming with you!' I yelled as I pushed myself against the wall. 'Let me out!'

" 'You sound like you're ready to kill for liberty, vampire.' The man replied with a mocking smile. 'But you quiver down to your little toes.'

"I was scared—it was true—embarrassing as it may sound.

" 'But I like you even more because of that. I have a feeling that you will have people under your feet in the future—that is, if you survive then.' The man added before he turned his back on me and walked away." Sasuke wrinkled his cheek.

"You're still here. So you survived." Gaara noted.

"But I can't say I have people under my feet."

"_You_ _look rich._" Gaara grinned.

Sasuke looked around and saw an ice cream parlor nearby. "Want some ice cream?"

"Sure!" Gaara slid down the bench. "But I like this bench. Let's return here, okay?"

Sasuke nodded and held out his hand to the child who happily clamped his tiny palm against Sasuke's.

"What happened next?" The red haired child asked as he slightly swung Sasuke's hand as they walked.

"I was left alone in that same cage served blood in a shallow saucer from time to time. At first I tried to kill the urge to drink but I reached my limit and I had to lick the saucer clean because of the desire for the taste of the crimson fluid.

"I can't remember how many days I stayed that way—naked and waiting for the saucer to be replaced by blood. I just remember that one morning some men pulled me out of the cage and wrapped me in a brown cloak that draped even over both my feet. I was so weak that I had to be held by two men to keep me from stumbling forward. My head lolled forward as they turned me from one corner to the other until I was outside the pound.

"I finally felt little joy when I felt the warmth of the sun against my face and my eyelids as I stood there without caring who I was with. For a moment, I felt free of the torture of the cage. Maybe I was too hopeful that I would really be let free.

"My happiness lasted only for a few minutes because as soon as they had signed contracts, I was shoved into a vehicle where I saw a lady wrapped in the same cloak. She was keeping her toes away from the sunlight that seeped through the holes of the old car.

" 'Hello,' I muttered with the faintest smile.

"She didn't respond but she nodded her head once in acknowledgment.

"The car jerked forward, startling us both.

" 'Do you know where they're taking us?' I asked.

" 'To Otto.' She replied calmly—something I half-expected for I was exposed to screaming and crying vampires before.

" 'Do you know what they're—?'

"She glanced at me with those eyes that had a smooth shade of cyan. 'Boy,' she grimaced, 'you ought to know that in that place, once the clock strikes night, you will be declared a toy.' "

**A/E/N:**

Special thanks to the anonymous reader who pointed out my wrong format. XD Haha! Really, I am deeply grateful : 3

I wanted to skip to Sakura and Sasuke's part badly...to be honest with you, guys. But I hafta make things chronological. Haha. Oh well. Sorry for the late update! It's vacation and am finally out of college--until June.


	4. Three: A Toy

**LE TUEUR TRISTE**

**By: withered-soup**

**Three: A Toy**

"When I think of Otto, the sunny smile of Tenten is replaced by dark colors and strong scent of booze. I cannot imagine how such place can be a haven to that lady.

"The houses are shabby from the outside; the road is never free of rubbish and menacing eyes staring from every hole imaginable. The people steals from each other, holds each other by their throats and everyone loves the unstable peace of the land.

"However, what I hate the most about Otto is the sex bar where Ino (I discovered her name when we were on the road) and I were transported to. I can never erase my first night in my memory. That first night is repeated several times until my seventh week with only minimal variations. Sometimes, more women were around me. Sometimes, more men were there. Sometimes, I end the day with little memory of what happened. It was more of selective amnesia.

"The bar…I could vividly remember. The interior was filled with men and women who held bills, glasses or sexual partners. Some enjoyed themselves through little chats while fondling with a naked girl or boy of desire. Arguments were inevitable and one could hear that most fights were about money or who-fucked-who. Most female prostitutes danced around poles and slyly pulled bills out of their patrons' pockets for extra kissing or sucking on whatever part of their body available. Sex was nothing there—a public thing, a sport.

"But the vampires were always for the last show, whatever happened. I think it's their strategy to serve us little blood to keep our strength low. Moreover, we were young in terms of vampire age. Our strength was not much.

"One night, something happened as the routine was done.

"I was at the backstage, locked up in a steel cage together with Ino. Another cage was set away from us and there were two more female vampires whose names I had never heard. From there, we could hear the yells of the audience awaiting our appearance.

" 'We're going to die.' I thought out loud. Ino gave me a glare and looked through the gap between the curtains that divided the stage from the back.

" 'Could you at least give yourself a boost of courage? We've been through this several times.' Ino replied sharply.

"In a matter of seconds, the curtains were pulled aside, exposing us to the warm spotlight.

" 'Ladies and gentlemen!' the host extended both his arms to acknowledge the audience. 'I know all of you are dying to see this part of the show.' Cheers came from the patrons. 'And because of that, we've brought you your favorite toys of all time!' A deafening shout of glee came from those dirty mouths. 'Tonight…'

"I didn't get to focus on the next words because before I knew it, I was being pulled out of the cage. And even though I had been treated like that for weeks, I had always yelled, 'let me go!' I twisted and turned in their grasp. When one of the men lost hold of my ankle, I frantically kicked his leg and that made his knee buckle. Roars of entertainment came from the watchers as they pounded their tables with their heavy booze glasses.

"I could hear the host yell for more men to restrain me and, yes, there came two more that jumped on me to keep me on the floor. I heard myself growl against the floorboard as they chained my wrists behind my back. I found myself trying to bite their hands when they held me by the shoulders to pull me up and latch me to one of the dancing poles.

" 'Dear patrons, what a sight!' The host's teeth glistened. 'With this kind of vampire, who wouldn't want to get one's hand on him?'

"My head lolled back as I gasped for air. The dancing lights above me made me dizzy and nauseated. My body must have experienced a sort of _rebound effect_. That rush of aggressiveness surprised me. Maybe it was what they always say—self-preservation.

"My eyes lowered whenever I tried opening them to see what was happening. I could hear the mixed voices of both the humans there and the vampires being tied to other poles.

"When I lifted my eyes forcefully, I saw Ino spitting on the face of one man who ripped her blouse open. He slapped her hard and stuffed rolled cloth into her mouth. I turned my head and saw a long straight-haired female vampire at my side. Her hair was being pulled by women to keep her from moving her head as they explored her smooth skin. I turned to another female vampire characterized by her short, black hair and cream eyes that reminded me much of Neji. She was silent and submissive as a lamb as they tied her against the pole. I noticed tears at the corner of her eyes as she squeezed her eyes shut and then gulped.

"It was in no time that someone stuffed a whiskey dampened cloth into my mouth and then pulled my clothes off.

"Actually, it was years after that I understood why they took vampires as their toys. In that bar, we were fondled, whipped, bitten playfully, forced into many, many disturbing tortures and actions. First, they felt that they controlled the beasts—the demons—because they feared us. They feared what they didn't know or understand. Second, we healed. It actually depends on our physical situation but, nevertheless, we healed and we could take more whippings the next night. Third, we were envied because of our growing beauty that was never mitigated by every trouncing we endured. We were eternally youthful and we grew stronger by time.

"That night, I tool countless whippings from a man and some women took turns in kissing me—my arms, my neck, my thighs. In time I was delirious, my eyes rolled as the scent of blood from my own cuts and those of the other vampires mixed in the air. I bit against the cloth and shut my eyes hard. I felt my teeth sink further into the cloth—the whiskey droplets touching my tongue.

" 'Get that boy away from the vampire!' My lids went up as I searched the source of the commotion.

" 'Don't touch her!' a blonde boy with whisker like lines on his cheeks snarled at the old men who surrounded the cream-eyes girl. He pushed and pulled until one of the men fell backwards, off the stage.

" 'It's him again!' the host yelled and pointed furiously at the blonde. 'I thought you already took care of him?' He demanded of the other men behind him.

"The guards quickly moved to take hold of the boy who tried to touch the vampire's bare collar. He was held by the arms and carried off.

" 'Kill the boy.' The host waved his hand dismissively and then turned to the pissed audience with an apologetic smile.

"I heard the boy cussing and yelling before the doors of the bar shut after him. I inwardly felt sorry for the blonde but I was puzzled later, thinking why a mortal wanted to protect a vampire."

Sasuke involuntarily smiled when a memory flashed before his eyes. "Protecting…a vampire. What more a vampire protecting a mortal…"

"What?" Gaara raised both his brows.

"Never mind." Sasuke said with a one-sided smile.

"Finally, the twilight marked another end of one whole day of hell. I was leaning against the pole, motionless and half-awake, when my wrists and ankles were suddenly freed. A collar was latched to my neck and then I was pulled to the backstage. There I saw Ino and the other two girls being pulled to a different room. I gasped Ino's name but I didn't hear my own voice. I surrendered to the person dragging me instead.

" 'You stay here.' The man unlatched me and then closed the door with a bang. I fell to my knees and closed my eyes.

" 'He's treated like royalty.' I heard a man complain outside.

" 'I heard he's bought.' Someone replied with a snort. 'And it's not just money. It's a large sum of money. Orochimaru-san is exaggeratedly happy.'

"I barely understood the conversation for I was distracted by the smell of the room. I looked around and found the place to be small with a little bed at the far corner. A candle lamp was on an end table at the other corner of the room across the bed. It somehow illuminated the filthy floorboards and the heavily barred windows.

"But the smell wasn't the smoke or the dirt…or the stale air. The scent was unmistakably blood—human blood. My body sprang up, my hunger undeniable. I walked towards the bed and saw the blood stained sheets. There is someone there, I thought before pulling the sheet off.

"It was the blonde boy. I could not forget those whisker-like traces. His lips were slightly parted with dried blood on them. His wrists were bound by rope and so were his ankles. His face had a large bruise while his limbs bore scratches and more bruises.

"My thirst and hunger for blood was one. I grasped my abdomen as I reached for the boy's neck with my free hand.

"_Stop it Sasuke_, a voice in me pleaded. _You know how he wanted to protect the other vampire!_

"_But he's obviously left here for my satisfaction_. I thought angrily as I drew closer. My hands yanked the collar of his shirt away from his neck. I kneeled over him, my knees at either side of his body. I was so concentrated on my thirst that I almost could hear the pumping of the boy's heart. I was going insane.

" 'Do it.'

"I was surprised to see those bloodied lips move.

" 'Do it…drink…'

" 'W-what?'

" 'You're thirsty, are you not?' the boy's eyes opened revealing weak, blue eyes. 'If you bite me, I might become a vampire and maybe…' his voice trailed off as his eyes closed.

" 'I don't understand you.' I said off-guardedly.

" 'Hinata.' He muttered and smiled.

"I bit my lip, sweat trickled along my jaw line. And after seconds of withholding I parted my lips and sank my teeth on his neck.

"That time, it was different. I could hear his slow breathing as clearly as how his heart beat played in my ears. My hands curled around his shoulders when I felt him stir.

"_He's going to die._

"My head snapped backward in shock. I didn't want to kill him and I was inwardly grateful for that voice that echoed in my mind. I released his shoulders and moved away from the bluish body. My sanity and control was back and so was the guilt of seeing that boy, cold and immobile, on the bed."

Sasuke had his back to Gaara when he stopped with his narration. The child was silent as well.

"I thought he would become a vampire." He said tonelessly. "So I waited with my elbows on my knees as I sat at the side of the bed. When hours passed, I decided he was dead but I was afraid to check on him." Sasuke turned to Gaara. "I was afraid of confirming my belief. I was afraid of what I had done—that I would continuously kill. I thought I could manage to restrain myself but no.

"It was noon when the door opened. Two men with revolvers came in and went to the bed to check on the boy. One of them nodded and then used the bloody blanket to cover the body. They carried it off and I only managed to follow them with my eyes.

"It was no sooner that a man stepped into the room followed by Orochimaru who looked at me from head to toe. The man had a long, silky, black hair tied into a pony tail. Beneath his obsidian coat was a white polo with ruffles starting from the neck down to his chest. His cream eyes seemed cooler and emotionless at first look.

" 'Sasuke,' his lips parted and my name seemed to dance with the beauty of his voice.

"Before I could utter a word, I fell, knee first, on the floor and my back arched as I bent down and kissed his shoe. I trembled and covered my face with my hands. I could feel warm tears brimming from my eyes. 'Hyuuga-san…' I whispered as a shamed tear rolled from my eyes. I knew I was saved."

Sasuke nodded to himself as he thought of the face of the Hyuuga. "A great man…

" 'Sasuke, stand up.' Neji moved back when I lifted myself from the floor. I couldn't think of anything else but the joy of finally seeing Neji—someone I could truly trust.

" 'This generous man bought you for quite a price.' Orochimaru's thin lips stretched into a smile.

" 'Hyuuga-san, I—'

" 'Save the gratified speech.' Neji pulled on his cloak and turned his back to me. 'Come. The train will be leaving in two hours.'

"Walking behind Neji made me look like a common slave. I was embarrassed by the tattered clothes I wore and I couldn't imagine myself riding with him.

"When we left the bar, I turned and took one last look at that grim place. My lips moved to form a relieved smile but it faded right away. I walked faster, closer to Neji.

" 'Hyuuga-san, there are three women working there. It disturbs me to leave them. Is there any way I could—'

" 'Sasuke,' he stopped on his tracks and was silent for seconds. 'If you take those three women out of there, Orochimaru will get more to resupply his need for workers. Another set will suffer in their place. You can't save everyone.'

" 'Can nothing be done to stop this?'

" 'Maybe none at the moment.' He sounded grave and then walked again.

"I stared at his back in thought and soon after, Neji gestured me with his hand to follow. My hands clenched but I understood. I just prayed for them though I wonder…"

Sasuke touched his chin with his fingers. "Does God bless the damned?"

"God doesn't choose who to love, right?" Gaara stretched his arms. "Maybe he blesses all."

"Maybe…" Sasuke smirked. "It will be a long time before I discover the answer. My death will come later.

"What I will tell you next is my life for the next hundred years." Sasuke closed his eyes and though of the lovely cherry blossoms that welcomed him every spring.

-

**A/E/N:**

Sorry for the late update. Next chapter, I assure you of Sakura's appearance. Yay!


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